A fire which destroyed a Manilla home in the early hours of Wednesday morning is being treated as suspicious. 

Police are continuing to piece together the circumstances surrounding the Manilla Rd blaze, but say the fire could have been deliberately lit.

The Leader understands the home’s owners were holidaying overseas when the fire broke out.

A passing motorist called triple-0, alerting the emergency services to the blaze at Klori, south of Manilla, just before midnight. 

Fire officials said the home was well alight by the time they arrived. 

“When they (firefighters) got there, there was a medium-sized house made of weatherboard with an iron roof described as being well alight,” NSW Fire and Rescue Tamworth zone Superintendent Tom Cooper said.

Four Rural Fire Service crews and a NSW Fire and Rescue team from Manilla worked together to extinguish the blaze. 

However, Superintendent Cooper said the fire reignited at 4am and crews were rushed back to the scene.

Acting Oxley Commander Chief Inspector Jeff Budd confirmed police were treating the fire as suspicious.

Forensic police investigators spent much of Wednesday examining the scene to establish what sparked the fire. 

Police are urging anyone with information about the fire to contact them on 6768 2999, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

8AM:

Police and fire crews are still at the scene of a blaze that destroyed a home near Manilla early this morning.

Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Manilla and Tamworth were called to the Manilla Rd home at Klori following reports of a fire.

Fire officials have told The Leader the blaze completely destroyed the home with police to determine whether it was deliberately lit.

Tamworth zone Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Tom Cooper  said crews were called to the blaze just before midnight.

“Just before midnight crews from the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW in Manilla were called to a house alight on Manilla Rd,” he said.

“When they got there, there was a medium sized house made of weatherboard with an iron roof described as being well alight.”

Superintendent Cooper said crews got to work and extinguished the blaze soon after arrival but they were called back to the scene just before 5am after a “re ignition.”

A crew from Tamworth was tasked to man the Manilla Fire Station to cover for crews at the scene.

Firefighters and police remain at the scene to determine the cause.

The Leader understands the owners were not at home at the time of the blaze.